All right, so it took me more than a day to get an interview with former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. To be fair, Huckabee was busy yesterday taking part in the PBS "All-American" forum that many other Republican candidates couldn't make.
We wanted him to weigh in on Governor Perry's $9,900 a month rental that taxpayers are paying for, since when Huck was Governor, the place he lived in while the Arkansas mansion was renovated was a donated "manufactured" home.
Huckabee, on the triplewide:
"It was less expensive than renting a house for us to live in during that period of renovation. It just made more sense."
Perry press secretary Robert Black, on why the Perry's didn't opt for a triplewide:
"I think most Texans would agree that the Governor of Texas, who ever that may be, is a little different than the governor of Arkansas."
Daily Kos commissioned a new poll of likely voters on the U.S Senate race here in Texas. It was in the field this week (Sept 24-26). It shows Cornyn above 50% in a match-up with Rick Noriega, but it doesn't poll Cornyn v Mikal Watts (I guess the Kos Dems have already counted out Watts?)
The poll was conducted by Research 2000 for Daily Kos, with a margin of error +/- 4%.
If the 2008 election for U.S. Senate were held today, would you to reelect John Cornyn, would you consider voting for another candidate, or would you vote to replace Cornyn?
Reelect 40
Consider 15
Replace 35
If 2008 election for U.S. Senate were held today, for whom would you vote for if the choices were between Rick Noriega, the Democrat, and John Cornyn, the Republican?
Cornyn (R) 51
Noriega (D) 35
It seems if Watts were put up against Cornyn, the numbers wouldn't be much (if any) different, since respondents probably picked based on the R or D. I'd like to see more polling on Cornyn v Noriega versus Cornyn v Watts.
As if middle school wasn't tough enough already, now students must be subjected to doing something called the "trunk lift".
The Texas Education Agency is introducing its statewide PE test today, something called "Fitnessgram".
The lege passed the mandatory testing this spring, in an effort to cut down on obesity rates in Texas. The test will measure body composition, muscular strength, and flexibility, among other things. To measure these things, students will have to do push-ups, a paced 20-meter run that increases in difficulty, and (EGAD!) curl-ups.
I STILL can't do a curl-up.
Results from the first Fitnessgram will go to the TEA, without the students' names. The aim is to use results to help develop curriculums that make students healthier.
If you haven't already heard, Governor Rick Perry and First Lady Anita Perry are moving out of the Governor's Mansion in Downtown Austin while the mansion undergoes a massive renovation. The whole mansion's being gutted because the plumbing (circa 1914) needs to be replaced and apparently the place isn't fire-safe, which is probably an important thing.
Here's our video story about the renovation project when it was announced.
Today, the Governor's office announced the Perry's have found a new rental pad. It's a three-story house in a gated community with a pool and a guest house (for security folks). Rent ain't cheap though, at $9,900 a month. The home was on the market for $1.8 million.
Compare that with former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who's now running for the Republican nomination for president. In 2000, he and his family moved into a triple-wide trailer, er, manufactured home during a two-year renovation of the Arkansas Governor's Mansion. That home (which they parked on the mansion grounds) was worth about $110,000.
We're efforting an interview with Governor Huckabee for a story on this tomorrow.
First, Democratic US Senate candidate Mikal Watts got himself a souped up new website. Now, it appears his opponent, State Rep. Rick Noriega, D-Houston, has also gone and gotten his site a new look.
The site has come a long way from the first day of the campaign. Back then, if I recall correctly, it featured a massively oversized photo on the "About" page. It looks like all the cell spacing and sizing issues are now resolved.
The Noriega site lacks the cool map thing with rollover features that Watts has. But Noriega does have a lot more embedded video, which I like.
During the legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill that required teachers across the state to get fingerprint background checks, which cost about $50 each. Who would pay? It appears it won't be teachers themselves, after some concerns about that earlier this summer.
TEA (more specifically, acting commissioner Robert Scott) has received a letter from Perry, Dewhurst and Craddick that says the agency will have to foot the bill for the background checks.
Texas bloggers of the blue persuasion are hoping to translate their cyber-voices into actual dollars that can help candidates they support. Tonight, Kurt and Amy Meachum hosted the Inaugural Texas Blog PAC fundraiser at their home in Austin.
KVUE: Elise Hu
Partygoers chat at the inaugural Texas blog PAC fundraiser.
The event, by the numbers:
State Lawmakers: 6
Toddlers: 5, including one set of twins
Reporters: 4
Reporters taking notes: 1 (it wasn't me)
Head count: About 150
Money count: At least $7,500
Cheese plates: Priceless
The blog PAC's goal is to help elect progressive candidates in the 2008 election cycle; namely, win enough seats for the Democrats to have a majority in the Texas House. Originally the goal was to win seven more seats. With Kirk England's defection from the Republicans, the Dems now only need six.
The Republicans are already fighting hard not just to hold on to their seats, but to increase their majority. Texas Republican Party Chairwoman Tina Benkiser talked with me last week in an interview that we didn't get to air due to last minute breaking news. Benkiser said they already have a candidate that she's "confident" will defeat England in his Grand Prairie district. She would not name the candidate, saying she doesn't want to steal his thunder.
A Travis County judge has denied a temporary restraining order sought by anti-toll road advocate Terri Hall of Texans United for Reform and Freedom, TURF.
TURF attorney Charles Riley argued that TXDOT was breaking the law by using state money for a political purpose -- an radio and television ad campaign called "Keep Texas Moving".
Assistant Attorney General Christina Silcock argued on behalf of the state. She said, "This is a public information campaign, that's primary what it is. Solely what it is."
The judge ultimately decided that the legislature has written the law in a way that allows TXDOT to "promote toll roads" and ruled against the plaintiff.
"This is just round one," said Hall after the hearing.
UT's new Center for Politics and Governance will include a Hispanic Policy Leadership Institute, to focus on the growing influence of Hispanics in both politics and policy. The program today focused several panels on that subject. Due to our tight deadlines, I was only able to stay for the first panel. Some notes:
--- Former Texas Congressman Henry Bonilla called this an "incredible transformation", yet noted the disconnect between the growing population and the percentage of Hispanics that show up at the polls. He says we should take a closer look at the cultural barriers that are preventing Hispanics from having a bigger political impact.
--- The Texas Lyceum poll conducted this spring shows 63% percent of Hispanic voters saying the country is on the wrong track
--- Top issues for Hispanics: Healthcare, education, economic security
--- Democratic political consultant James Aldrete says messaging to Hispanics must focus on the community and not the individual.
"The Catholic church sets up this idea of the group over the individual," he said. "It's hard to not have some humilty when you have to kneel a lot."
Aldrete argues that as an extension of Catholocism's impact on Hispanics, priorities like CHIP are seen as a moral obligation.
--- Frank Guerra works in corporate advertising and in politics. He says the way corporations now focus on speaking to Hispanics signals a huge shift, now that Hispanics are spending more money than ever before. The group's rising expectations for corporate America will translate to rising expectations for the political parties competing for their votes.
Believes the party that captures the "great middle" of Hispanics that are not loyal to either party will change cycle to cycle.
We attended the official launch of UT's new Center for Politics and Governance this morning. Hundreds of political wonks, hacks and wonk-hack hybrids gathered for the launch event and opening conference, "The Future is Now: the Hispanic Impact on American Politics and Government".
The goal of the new center is to allow students to study politics and government
as it's happening, with the people who are influencing it. The University's hoping to bridge a stronger connection between what students study "in theory" and what's really happening "in the field", as we say in the news biz.
I'lll have notes on what the panel on the current state of Hispanic politics had to say soon.
I still haven't found out what the Dems are going to give State Rep. Kirk England, R, I mean, D-Grand Prairie, as a welcome gift for becoming a Democrat. Perhaps some sort of goodie bag with monogrammed towels? Anyway, England made his official announcement this morning in his district office. He was joined by Dallas State Senator Royce West.
Kirk England
Click here to see the raw video of the press conference:
What England had to say:
The Republican leadership in Austin had zero tolerance for the issues that are important to our district. They made that loud and clear, and I wasn't going to go back on those promises.
On Education:
Some of the votes I made on [public education], the leadership didnt like it, made it loud and clear and worked to try to get me to change those votes.
On Children's Health Insurance:
To have to fight the way we did for a small step forward on children's healthcare, the CHIP bill, that was like pulling teeth from the Republican leadership.
Who are you talking about?
Certainly the Speaker is included in the Republican leadership, but it's the Republican leadership in general. I'm going to throw the governor in there. The Governor didn't help things when he vetoed the money for the community colleges. And shame on the leadership for that.
Changing demographics of district -- how much of a factor?
I would say zero. The demographics of my district today are about the same as they were when I was elected. I have every confidence I will be elected as a Democrat.
Wow. The raucous 80th session has led one Republican member to switch sides. The Dallas Morning News and the Star-Telegram are reporting that State Rep. Kirk England, R-Grand Prairie, will switch parties tomorrow.
"After one session in the House, I found that the Republican leadership in Austin had no tolerance for the values and priorities of the folks I represent. That is why [Thursday] at 10 a.m., I will announce my intention to seek re-election to the Texas House as a Democrat," England said.
Well, Democrats are certainly welcoming England with open arms. (I wonder what kind of gifts someone gets after switching parties? Is there a welcome basket or anything? If anyone knows the answer please leave us a comment.)
After next fall's elections, what will the new balance of power be heading into the 81st session? The House is currently 80R, 69D. (After Republican Anna Mowery, R-Fort Worth, resigned her seat this summer). I guess tomorrow the balance already changes to 80R, 70D.
Longtime Texas House member (and Public Health committee chair) Rep. Dianne Delisi, R-Temple, won't be running for another term.
"I make this announcement with every confidence that as I stand down, others will capably stand up to honorably and successsfully lead," she said in a statement.
She will serve out the remaining 15 months of her term. Speaker Tom Craddick (whom Delisi supports) released his statement moments ago:
"Rep. Delisi and I have served together for 16 years, and during that time she has become a good friend to my family.... Though I am sad to see such a wonderful colleague go, Nadine and I wish her the very best in her future endeavors."
Another open seat in a GOP district... it will be interesting to see what happens in the District 55 primary -- whether the candidates will be pro or anti-Craddick. Every member counts in the race for Speaker...
Fred Thompson's about two weeks into his official campaign for president, and he's tapping some Texas donors in a two-day swing through the Lone Star State. He's also happy to get some free media attention.
KVUE: Elise Hu
Cameras surround Fred Thompson as he tours an Austin Dell facility.
Thompson sat down with me for a one-on-one interview early this morning (who says he doesn't work hard? 8am is early!)
Here's some of what he said...
On illegal immigration:
"If you enforce the law in terms of employment here, in terms of sanctuary cities, the problem will dissipate over time. A lot of time people are apprehended here for whatever reason but if they're found here illegally we should send them back."
On global warming:
Q: Is global warming a man-made problem?
A: From what we know now, it seems to be in part, certainly. I think that we don't know how much yet. There are a lot of other things we don't know. There's got to be a global solution to it, there's got to be an international solution before we can do anything. We could take a lot of drastic measures here and it wouldn't even make any difference if China, and India and a lot of other countries don't participate.
On Hillary Clinton:
Well, she's an effective politician, she's done a lot to succeed in politics and has a lot to succeed in politics. I'm not going to get into the assets and lack of assets of any potential nominee.
On UT
EH: We're in Austin, where we have UT. But in Tennessee you have another UT. Which should Americans consider the true UT?
FT: You know, it's a big wonderful orange country as far as Im concerned. And I think there's enough country there for two UT's.
EH: Do you prefer burnt orange, or citrus orange.
FT: Citrus. I'm sorry, but my pandering can only go so far. [laughs]
KVUE's getting seven minutes with Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson on Wednesday morning, before his scheduled fundraising lunch.
We're talking to Thompson at 8am (which seems a little early, yeah?). What should we ask Fred Thompson? Please share your ideas, then I'll post the raw interview on Wednesday and you can hear your question being asked.
BTW: Thompson's Texas supporters include Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson and Attorney General Greg Abbott. Austin blog PinkDome recently posted what appears to be a copy of a fundraising letter Abbott sent out on Thompson's behalf.
The new and improved Mikal Watts campaign website is up and running. And it's fancy.
"We had some 12 year olds design it and it's amazing," joked campaign spokeswoman Kim Devlin.
Watts is running against State Rep. Rick Noriega, D-Houston, to be the Democratic nominee for US Senate. The winner of the March primary faces incumbent U.S Senator John Cornyn.
Now, I haven't spent a lot of time on the new Watts site, but I did take it for a short test drive and found a small issue. While the interface is easy to use and there's plenty of information available, I DON'T have a way to get back home.
What I mean is, if you are jumping from tab to tab, reading the different pages, there isn't a place where you can click to get back to the main index page. On many sites, you click on the main logo and get back home... but I tried it and it doesn't work.
I took a bunch of pictures at the Bill Clinton book signing last Friday, where more than one thousand people lined up around the block to see the former president. The first woman in line arrived at 4am. Video here.
It was not a newsmaking event -- the President signed a bunch of books, and didn't say anything except that he managed to make it to Guero's, one of his favorite Austin restaurants, after the Hillary Clinton fundraiser Thursday night. There's the Gary Mauro Platter at Guero's, and I think I can figure out who that's named after. But the "El Presidente" platter... is that Clinton, or another president? I don't know for sure.
About the photos: I still need to upload them. I decided to take a break from the computer all weekend. (Egad!)
Sounds like fun (and fundraising) was had all around Austin last night. President Bill Clinton tells us he had a good time at his fundraiser last night for Hillary (before he headed to Austin favorite Guero's, and State Senator Watson reports his evening under the stars was "just a perfect Austin, Texas night".
At the fundraiser, Watson unveiled a new video, now hosted on YouTube. (No video unveilings that I know of at the Clinton fundraiser).
If you are too busy to click, Watson races through various backdrops like hospitals and roadways, highlighting the issues he wants to work on for Central Texas. He runs in and out of frame from one background to the next, and he seems to be running at a pretty quick clip. He told me once that he was came in first in the Capitol 10K... in the state senator division, that is. (I'm not challening this, though I'm guessing that young Senator Eltife would probably make pretty good time in a long run...)
All kinds of money should be changing hands for Democratic candidates tonight... not only is State Senator Kirk Watson, D-Austin, using an ACL stage the night before the festival kicks off for a concert fundraiser "under the stars", but President Bill Clinton will be within a few blocks, at The Hilton, hoping to reel in some big bucks for his wife.
Time for another SAT analogy!
Gary Mauro : Hillary Clinton :: Jerry Patterson : Fred Thompson
Mauro tells me he's expecting up to four hundred people at the Clinton event tonight, and while they have bundlers collecting around $10,000 "the majority will be $100 donors".
Clinton's hoping to raise about $750,000 during his swing through Texas, which includes stops in Austin, Laredo and San Antonio.
Coincidentally, Hillary Clinton had to give back just about that same amount to disgraced fugitive fundraiser Norman Hsu. Hsu's due in court today after being arrested trying to run from a 15 year old theft conviction.
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson is here in ATX, and he just visited with us at the Austin airport before he headed to the KLRU studios for a taping of Texas Monthly Talks with Evan Smith.
KVUE: Elise Hu
Richardson taking questions from the press, as seen from a viewfinder
He was frank, saying this month is "all about fundraising" for him, and he won't be doing public events until he beefs up his bank account.
Former Austin Senator Gonzalo Barrientos has known Richardson for the past three decades, and is the Governor's number one fan in Austin (if not Texas). Let me put it in the form of an SAT analogy:
Tonight Barrientos is heading the host committee for Richardson's private fundraiser at the Mexican American Cultural Center. Minimum contribution, $100.
The Texas Legislature changed the Texas pledge this past session to include "one state under God". The House sponsor, State Rep. Debbie Riddle, R-Tomball, said it would put our state's pledge more in line with the U.S. pledge. (Though critics have pointed out she didn't try to match other parts of the U.S. pledge, just the under God part).
The new pledge also sparked a lawsuit. A North Texas couple asked that a federal judge stop the use of the new pledge, but the judge denied the injunction. The atheist couple argued their children were harmed by the recitation of the new God-infused pledge, even if the law states those who opt to can leave the room.
Okay, enough with the exposition. What I was going to say was that yesterday we attended the Star of Texas awards, in which the Governor recognizes Texas first responders killed or injured in the line of duty.
Like most ceremonies, this one began with a recitation of the U.S. pledge, followed by the Texas pledge. Ostensibly, the Governor was leading the pledge, and guess what he, and the entire room forgot to say? Yep.
The Old Version:
Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one and indivisible.
The New Version:
Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible.
I had a problem with the old version not because I thought it was missing anything, but because it seemed to be - to borrow a musical phrase - syncopated. It didn't ... flow right. Maybe from now on all pledges should be written in iambic pentameter. ///Remember that from English class???
I think those of us who witnessed it are still kind of shocked and awed by what happened in the final days of the spring legislative session. That's when the bubbling movement to unseat the House Speaker finally exploded into a mystifying mess of parliamentary procedure, floor rhetoric and the speaker's refusal to recognize members.
The Speaker's challengers have asked Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott for an AG opinion on the recognition matter, and Abbott has 180 days to respond. We're all still waiting, and if you want to find out about the opinion as soon as it comes out, here's how.
Sign up for the Attorney General's e-updates on his opinions. The link is here. Notice you can also sign up for news releases, consumer alerts, etc etc.
I don't think you can fully classify yourself as a nerd until you subscribe to these email alerts. Join the club!
KVUE-TV and KEYE-TV are in a head-to-head battle right now in a Statesman online poll for Austin's favorite news anchor teams. We were leading for awhile but KEYE began pulling ahead really quickly in a curiously short amount of time.
The get-out-the-vote in our newsroom is in full swing. It feels like election season again... the frenzy of it all.
Here's the link to cast your ballot! (You can also vote for your favorite Austin landmark and breakfast taco, my vote went to Taco Shack but maybe that's because it's the place most conveniently located on my drive to work.)
The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, CAMPO, is considering five new road projects, which may all have toll booths on them. That means the folks on both sides of the toll road issue (more than 300 of them) turned up to a key board meeting/public hearing Monday night, covered in this story by my friend/coworker Kevin Peters.
The Texas Democratic Party's recent online e-poll drew more than 8,100 participants, though they can't prove whether these online voters are actually registered voters or over the voting age, even.
That didn't stop the John Edwards presidential campaign from celebrating their victory in the non-scientific e-poll. The Democratic contender is trailing both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in more-scientific national polls, though Edwards continues to have strong organization and support in Iowa. (A first or second place finish in Iowa could change everything for Edwards, which is probably what his campaign is banking on.)
Elizabeth Edwards is in town to do a book signing for Saving Graces, a book about her life's losses and the love she received during her troubled times. But first, she stopped to meet the press.
"We can do this, and this is just an indication of his strength in places in the country that democrats too often write off," said Edwards. She thinks Edwards is the most threatening candidate to the GOP in Texas, because he's a Southern man from a Southern state and grew up in a place that valued "Sunday morning church, Sunday evening church, Wednesday night church and Friday night football".
Houston Mayor Bill White introduced Lance Armstrong, who then introduced State Rep. Patrick Rose, at Rose's Sunday night fundraiser. But what was the Houston Mayor doing at a rally in Central Texas?
Well, White says he and Rose have known each other since the representative's halycon days of youth, which was around age 18. But White's the Mayor of HOUSTON, not, say, Buda, which is actually in Rose's district, and he came all the way out to Hays County to support the young rep?
It probably goes a bit deeper. Sources in the Texas Democratic Party say they are looking toward 2010, when White may seek the party's nomination for Governor. It would make sense, then, for the Mayor to up his statewide profile by appearing at more events in more places across Texas. (And according to The Houston Chronicle, his presentation was "crisp".)
KVUE: Elise Hu
White greets baby Victoria and State Rep. Mark Strama outside the annual Rose BBQ.
He's even cuddling up to babies, seen in this photo with State Rep. Mark Strama (D-Austin) and Strama's seven-month-old daughter, Victoria.
And lest we forget who else was spotted at the fundraiser -- Glen Maxey, former State Rep who's now running for Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector, State Rep. Eddie Lucio III, D-Brownsville, and State Rep. Rick Noriega, (D-Houston), sporting a nice cowboy hat. Noriega is running for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.
Patrick Rose wound up getting a turnout of at least one thousand people to attend his $25 a plate fundraiser in Dripping Springs. I had a bit of deja vu, since the stage set-up was the same as last year, and so was the music they played after Rose was introduced --John Mellencamp's "Small Town". If you need a refresher...
Well I was born in a small town
And I live in a small town
Probly die in a small town
Oh, those small communities
But I digress. What differed from last year was the appearance of special guest Lance Armstrong. Rose was the House sponsor of what's now Proposition 15, and Armstrong lobbied hard (even in the dizzying last week of the session) to make sure it got out of committee and to successful floor votes in both chambers.
Senate Finance Chair Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, opposed the cancer research bill all along, saying to me this spring, "I don't think we need to be borrowing three billion dollars." Alas, Ogden wound up on the losing side of that battle, and now the HJR is a Proposition up before voters November 6th.
The sweet smell of Texas barbeque is in the air. I'm at the Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood, where State Rep. Patrick Rose, D-Dripping Springs, is hosting his annual fundraiser. (Interesting trivia - last year's Rose BBQ was the first political event I attended as an Austin political reporter, since I moved here last September. Full circle.)
This year's BBQ has a little more star power to it, though. Not only is Lance Armstrong speaking (he's drumming up support for Prop 15, which creates the $3 billion cancer research center in Texas), so is Houston Mayor Bill White, who is friends with Rose from back-in-the-day. The young lawmaker (Rose) was just out of high school when White served as the State Democratic Party Chair, and they have been friendly ever since. More from here later... too distracted by the smell of those ribs.
Fall is in the air (sort of) and Labor Day is behind us. You know what that means... it's game time in the world of politics. We at KVUE are marking this annual occasion with the launch of this here blog, Political Junkie.
Bookmark us, 'cause for now, the URL is not too easy to remember (even for this blog's primary blogger).
You may be thinking, ANOTHER political blog? Yep. If you are reading this, you can't get enough of this stuff, and neither can I. So here's a chance for me to add a little more info... and a little more color to KVUE political coverage than we have time for in the thirty minute newscasts (twenty four minutes if you don't count the commercials.)
PLEASE feel free to email your ideas and questions or leave them in the comment box. The idea for this space is for it to serve as an ongoing conversation, and it doesn't have to be a serious one.
